8 gold medals and one bong

You know, I'd love to say I'm shocked by the fact that an 8-time Olympic gold medalist was caught smoking marijuana at a college party. Considering a study published by the University of Michigan, 47% of high school seniors had tried an illegal substance. And as those kids go to college and experience life without parental supervision, that type of using can get out of control. Michael Phelps, I don't blame you. I think he made a decision and is paying the consequences. As we all know, consequences create change...although he did receive a DUI in 2004. So Michael, time to do some hard thinking. We all get that your life is hard-- according to research done in the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, on average, people with GREAT success require around 10,000 hours of practice, which means Phelps has crammed all of that in before his 23rd birthday. That kind of pressure can create problems and seeking a release, which is probably all he was looking for. But Mr. Phelps, remember you're in the public eye and a role model. Represent yourself that way. If you have a problem, get help. If you don't, keep it out of the public eye!

For someone else who has admitted to smoking marijuana, watch this:



Today is World Cancer Day, click here to find out how to get involved.

For something funny, click here.

For something good to listen to, check out Ohtis.

As always, find me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Ritalin: The new cocaine?

Recently, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Addiction published a study which shows that Ritalin produces similar effects on the brain as cocaine. Not really shocking, considering the high level of Ritalin abuse we've started to hear about in the last couple of years. I can remember in college when people would trade medications and use Ritalin either to stay up late to study, or to get nice and speedy before going out. The fact that it's taken almost 10 years since that time for a study to come out is a shame. Here's a quote from the lead researcher, Yong Kim: "Methylphenidate, which is thought to be a fairly innocuous compound, can have structural and biochemical effects in some regions of the brain that can be even greater than those of cocaine." Just another sneaky way to get addicted, if you ask me. Basically, this proves to me that we need to keep a better watch on what medications we give to our children, and especially if they show signs of abuse or addiction, make sure to put solutions in the hands of the parents who need them.

Here's a report from Fox News in Atlanta on students using Ritalin as a "brain steroid." Interesting stuff.




For something fun, click here.

As always, find me on Twitter and LinkedIn. See you tomorrow.

Continuing Care

The Hazelden Foundation published a study in December regarding results of a research project about the importance of continuing care (you can find the study here.) The study shows a marked improvement when individuals in treatment follow their aftercare recommendation (specifically, this study is around outpatient and 12-step meetings). The basic underlying fact, and my experience, is this: the more engaged we can keep clients for the first year, the easier it is for them to achieve, or at least get on the road to, a successful recovery. If they go out on their own, are detached from their initial peer group and/or treatment center, and don't follow the recommended aftercare plan, their chances of success are slim. We, as an industry, need to do a better job recommending and enforcing aftercare recommendations; too many people are still under the impression that a person can go to treatment for 28 days and be "fixed." Once again, another stigma we have to break through!

Here's a PSA ad I found interesting and hadn't seen before:



Here's my favorite Super Bowl commercial from last night:




Here's something entertaining. Click here for some amazing art. Or here.

As always, find me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Thanks!

A new day dawns

Hi there.

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be writing on occasion to update the world on what's happening inside the treatment world, as well as research, government action, and opinions. I would love comments and questions, and look forward to seeing some good results as we move forward in new ideas in this world.

For now, check out where I work here

You can also find me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

I'll be posting links and articles as well as anything I find out while exploring the field.

Take care, and see you soon.